Lighten up on sharing of info

[Jamie M]

Let me preface by saying that I have never discovered, truly on my own, a "honey hole" that got posted on the Internet, which resulted in the spot getting too crowded or fished-out. So maybe it's not fair for me to judge those who disdain the sharing of information. But isn't that the whole point of forums like this?

I fell in love with saltwater fishing late in life. No one in my family, and none of my friends, are into fishing. So I'm on my own. Fine. All I want is to learn enough about the popular spots so that I can fish once a week (I have to drive 2 hours each way) and be confident that I'm not wasting my time.

I have never asked anyone for the exact location of their success. But I do sometimes ask a question like "I want to go to Fresh Pond Rocks tomorrow night, but it's low tide and the wind is out of the east. Should I bother?" I don't understand responses like "F.U. buddy, do your own leg work".

Everyone claims that they've done all their own legwork. So am I to believe that all you data-hoggers have fished every inch of coast, under every possible combination of variables like time of year, wind, tide, presence of bait, etc..? Give me a break, that would take a whole lifetime of fishing 365 days a year. Most information about these spots, or at least a good chunk of it, comes from someone else showing you a spot, or telling you about it.

To anyone who honestly does their own legwork, like Iron Mike snorkeling around his spots in the daytime, I tip my hat. To those who only know a certain spot because someone else showed it to them, and they think I'm an #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& because I'm asking for a similar kind of help, I say you are a complete hyprocrite.

I'm not looking to pilfer anyone else's legitimate legwork. But I wonder how many sharpies owe at least SOME of their success to those who gave them some help along the way. Those of you who are complaining about the sharing of information, raise your hand if you HAVE NEVER, EVER gotten any help from someone who knew more than you did.

To anyone who would intentionally give FALSE information to someone like me, I ask this : how is what you're doing any better than what wealthy landowners do when they try to restrict access?

The ocean, and all of her beauty and opportunity, belong to ALL OF US. Even those of us who weren't lucky enough to live across the street from someone like Steve McKenna or Andy Lemar (just examples, not picking on anyone).

I see a lot more of this lately, and it's making me, at least, feel a LOT less comfortable asking questions, which again I thought was the point of this forum. Sounds like paranoid McCarthy-ism to me...

Just my $0.02. Not meant to offend, but looking to find out why newcomers like me are such a threat. I pick up any trash I see, release what I catch, and will always ask the guy fishing next to me if he'd like a cold beer.